


Running With Wolves

by kawaii5lyfe



Series: Mausoleum [1]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol, Canon-Typical Violence, Drama & Romance, Drinking & Talking, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pansexual Mercy, Peer Pressure, Pre-Canon, Romance, Slice of Life, Slow Burn, Unresolved Sexual Tension, mercykill - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-11
Updated: 2016-08-24
Packaged: 2018-07-22 23:37:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7458126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kawaii5lyfe/pseuds/kawaii5lyfe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The attraction felt to them what a moth must feel when drawn to a flame. Neither of them knew which of them was the moth and which was the flame.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Anyone who has visited Dorado knew that during its hottest month of May that the heat didn’t subside just because the sun has gone down. Anyone that paid attention in elementary school knew that the sun light hours were longer in the summer and baked heat into every surface it touched. Gabriel Reyes could feel the buildings simmering as he walked past. The sun had set slowly, like a child refusing to go to sleep. It melted into the the night sky in shades of coral, goldenrod and deep violets. Reyes wasn’t an artist -hell, he never even used a coloring book as a child- but he could appreciate nature’s cruel beauty.

His skin felt sticky from the humidity that denied anyone relief from the day’s heat. The night felt motionless and hot as he wove his way through the market that was still full of life. Shop keeps closing down their stands, children running home to the calls of their mothers, power plant workers greeting each other as they passed each one another. The night shift relieving the day. The town still held a homey, vintage aura despite the modernizations forced upon it. That was probably the only thing about Dorado-the aesthetic.

Overwatch had tasked Reyes to take a small team to the coastal city to assist the locals with recovering from a terrorist attack against one of the power plants. It was a small job and didn’t really require a whole team, but Overwatch insisted that they help with repairing cities and spirits just as often that they protected them. Reyes told Jack to stay behind telling him that if something urgent came up that it would be better to have the second-in-command answer. In truth he didn’t want to deal with Jack’s boy scout mannerisms. Reyes knew that if Jack came he and the good Dr. Ziegler would insist on helping every kicked puppy in the whole city. He brought the doctor with him, of course (he’d been stupid not to), Jesse, and Ana. Small team for a small job.

Reyes pushed passed the gimmicky saloon doors to a somewhat hole-in-the-hall bar off the main road. For some reason Reyes and his team were told to stay one more day despite the completion of their mission.

“Just in case.” Gerard’s thick accent had said over the communicator.

The small square table felt grimy under his fingertips as he settled into a chair. Reyes picked a spot somewhat in the middle of the small bar but had his back to the wall. He kept the main entrance in full sight as well as the bar where locals were gathered noisily. The establishment was dimly lit, and smelled of beer and sweat. The waitress sauntered over, a smile painted on her full lips.

“ _¿En qué puedo traer , cariño?_ ” She tilted her head, dark curls cascading over her shoulders as she watched him.

“ _Cerveza._ ” He replied flatly.

Since he underwent the soldier enhancement his alcohol tolerance had risen severely. He couldn’t get drunk anymore - not like room spinning, spending the next morning paying homage to the porcelain goddess drunk. Once he and Jack tested their limits and the only thing they were able to achieve was a nice heavy feeling that usually came with being tipsy. Reyes still enjoyed the taste of beer and Tequila, and would indulge whenever he could appropriately. He mumbled his thanks to the waitress when she returned with his beer.

Reyes could feel eyes on him. The hairs on his arm pricked up and a tingling sensation nibbled at the back of his neck. A group of men -blue collar barely middle class- were bunched together eyeing him.

“ _No me jodas._ ” Reyes mumbled into his glass as he took a sip, eyes narrowed on the group.

He didn’t pick fights, but he sure as hell could finish them. He watched as one of the men looked away and shook his head and another shifted as if he might come over. Reyes’s hand gripped the glass, setting it on the table. He was half way through devising a way to take the whole group out with only his fists when a voice shocked his attention away.

“Is it alright if I join you?”

“Who the f--!” the words escaped Reye’s mouth automatically.

For a brief moment the mask of smug indifference he kept firmly in place cracked as his eyes widened briefly when his brain connected the face to the voice.

Angela -Mercy- stood by the table. She was looking at him expectantly, a small smile curving her mouth. Reyes gave her a quick once over.

“You don’t strike me as someone who likes the bar scene.” Reyes finally responded, the corners of his mouth turned up. He nodded to the chair besides him.

Mercy chuckled softly as she slid into the chair. “It is true, they are not my favorite places but I thought I’d treat myself.”

The waitress made her way over once more to take Mercy’s order. Reyes took the opportunity to give her a quick once over. Since she joined Overwatch he had rarely seen her out of her lab coat or her Valkyrie suit. He instinctively got the impression that she liked to be comfortable when she was in civilian mode. She was wearing some loose fitting pants that were made of some sort of lightweight fabric that she had rolled the hems up to about mid shin. She had on some well worn slingback sandals, and a slouchy tunic. Reyes didn’t consider himself the most fashionable person and almost always opted to wear fitted sweat pants and a plain t-shirt when he wasn’t in uniform.

“Picked a fucking bright spot, Doc.” he snorted lifting his glass to his mouth again.

“It’s kind of cozy,” Mercy commented, glancing around the room. “You can really get the sense of the people that live here.”

Reyes cocked a brow slowly lower the glass from his lips as he eyed her. That was the most idealist _bullshit_ he’s ever heard about a shit hole bar like this.

“Sure,” he lifted his shoulder with a half shrug as he replied. “Whatever you say.”

Mercy gave him a pointed look, leaning forward to cross her arms on the table. Remembering the sticky texture of the wood from being wiped down with a dirty wet rag made Reyes smirk as he watched Mercy quickly rescind the action. He almost let the chuckle that bubbled up in his throat escape watching her expression twist between displeasure, and acceptance. The waitress returned holding a highball glass containing a clear liquid with a lime floating on top. The floral scents of the liquor wafted past Reyes as the glass was set in front of Mercy.

“ _¿Otra cerveza?_ ” The waitress gestured to Reyes nearly empty glass with both her eyes and her hand.

Reyes titled the glass as he briefly considered it. “ _Claro._ ”

Reyes watched the waitress saunter away, eyes following the sway of her hips for a moment before returning his attention to his colleague.

“Bombay Sapphire?” He nodded toward the glass in her hand.

Mercy raised her eyebrows unable to hide her surprise.

“How--” she started.

“I could smell it. The lemon peel and the almond make it smell like a goddamn perfume.”

“You know your Gin.”

They shared a smirk between them as the waitress came and went once more.

* * *

 

Mercy wasn’t the first person Reyes would choose for a drinking partner but he was thankful for the way she lightened the mood and  _ goddamn _ was she a funny drunk. She was absentmindedly twirling a strand of hair around her finger and staring into the empty glass of her third G&T.

“Scotch or bourbon is an old man drink.” Mercy’s voice was thick from drink.

Reyes couldn’t hold back barking a laugh at her.

“Jesus  _ Christ _ , Ange, you’re still on about that?”

A couple hours previously when she complimented his knowledge of gin, Reyes had made a half joke about how he knew so much was because of grandpa’s like Reinhardt and Torbjorn only kept gin at base. He grinned wolfishly at Mercy when she rolled her eyes at him. He continued to tease her by saying that she looked like a rich mogul’s wife sipping G&Ts while her husband played golf. She had laughed bitterly at this and Reyes wasn’t able to read her expression. It had irritated him for just a moment before he pressed on saying that she was aging herself and that she and her G&T would be joining the rest of the grandmas of Overwatch in the geriatric ward.  It was juvenile and  _ stupid _ but it was so fun to rile her up.

Mercy glanced from the lime she was fishing out of the empty highball glass and his face, her lips pursed in a way that made Reyes think she wasn’t really that annoyed anymore.

“You should shoot Tequila.” Reyes folded his arms across his chest, leaning back in his chair as he watched her.

Mercy’s eyes brows knitted together and he knew it was more from his suggestion than the tartness from the lime between her lips.

“ _ Why? _ I know the rhyme, Gabi!” Mercy dropped the shriveled lime back into the empty glass. “1 tequila, 2 tequila, 3 tequila, FLOOR! Rushing into inebriation is not a wise way to drink.”

Reyes’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline. He couldn’t believe he was going to let that horrible line slide, but that  _ nickname _ was unforgivable.

“ _ GABI? _ ” he spat out incredulously around a laugh.

Mercy giggled and smiled at him in a way that felt challenging. She folded her arms against the table and leaned forward, apparently too tipsy to care about the sticky surface.

“Jack calls you ‘Gabe’, I call you ‘Gabi’.” Mercy grinned showing off her perfect teeth. “When we talk about you alone.”

_ Oh, touche. _ She was goading him and  _ god dammit _ it was working. Reyes couldn’t put his finger on what irritated him more about that confession; Jack and Mercy’s alone time, the emasculating nickname or that they talked about him  _ behind his back. _ His jaw clenched as he leaned forward, keeping his eyes level with Mercy’s.

“So, what the fuck do you two love bird’s talk about?” He spat out like venom in his mouth.

Mercy tilted her head to the side, her eyebrow arched as her grin faded to a smirk.

“ _ Love birds? _ With Jack?” Mercy chuckled shaking her head. “Not likely.”

Reyes narrowed his eyes at her. Her cheeks were flushed from drink and she drew her bottom lip between her teeth. The corners of her mouth were still up turned.

“We talk about missions, mostly.” Mercy spoke softly. “He talks fondly of you as both a comrade and friend.”

Reyes rolled his eyes. Of course he would, the fucking boy scout. He turned his attention to the bar as he sat up, nodding toward the waitress to come over. He needed more alcohol to endure this conversation.

“And about what kind of girls you like.”

With the speed it took to look back at Mercy Reyes thought for sure he had given himself whiplash. A muscle in his jaw twitched watching Mercy’s whole face light up. She was enjoying this way too much, and it irritated the  _ shit _ out of him. He glanced at the waitress when she finally came over. She looked over at him as she picked up the empty glasses and opened her mouth to no doubt ask if they’d like anything else before Reyes cut her off.

“ _ Disparos de tequila. Deja la botella _ .” He spoke quick and firm.

The waitress nodded slowly, glancing between him and Mercy as she turned to walk back to the bar. Reyes’s eyes snapped back to Mercy.

“The fuck you just say?” his voice was dangerously low, his eyes burning into Mercy’s cobalt pools.

Mercy tilted her head and tucked her bangs behind her ear as she held his gaze unwavering. Reyes knew she was ballsy but not even his closest agents could stare him dead in the face when his tone dropped. He still couldn’t pinpoint why this bothered him so much. Part of him was pissed off that Jack felt that the kind of girls Reyes liked to  _ fuck _ was somehow Mercy’s business. Another part of him felt embarrassed that she knew, and a fluttery sensation he hadn’t felt around girls he liked since he was a kid erupted in his chest.

“We have similar tastes,” Mercy began, color rising in her cheeks that had nothing to do with the liquor. “Wide hips and thick thighs.”

The loops Reyes was being thrown through would have made a normal person dizzy, and he was barely keeping up. He lifted a brow as he sat straight and his jaw slacked.

Mercy giggled while mimicking his position, twirling a lock of hair around her finger again. “I’ve kissed a few girls in my youth.”

The waitress returned holding two shot glasses in one hand and a bottle of Tequila in the other. Reyes didn’t acknowledge her as she started to pour but kept his scrutinizing gaze on Mercy. Her eyes went round, her finger releasing the lock of hair as she looked between the liquor, the waitress and Reyes.

“W-wait, did you--” Mercy stammered.

Reyes rubbed a hand over his chin, briefly running his fingertips over the stubble there. A smirk spread across his face as he shifted his weight forward.

“We’re doing shots,  _ Corazon! _ ” Reyes nearly shouted, his smirk growing into a grin.

Every cell in his body was screaming at him, telling him that this was irrational and irresponsible. Pressuring their only field medic into doing shots was absolutely idiotic. Mercy was pressing her palms against the table’s surface as she stared at him. Reyes could tell that she was trying to determine every possible outcome, positive and negative of shooting Tequila when they were still technically on active duty. He knew because she had a habit of chewing on her bottom lip when she was in deep thought. She huffed out a sigh, giving him a resigned smile and drummed her fingers on the table a brief beat.

  
“Can I have a chaser?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reyes is actually a gentleman.

“Hey, Ange, you didn’t fucking answer my question.”

The moon enshrined by stars had taken the sun’s place in the now jet-black sky. A cool breeze was rolling off the ocean slowly kissing the heat of the day away. Downtown Dorado was lit by the warm glow of street lamps and strings of lights that adorned the square. Reyes had an arm slung around Mercy’s shoulders as they walked the deserted streets in the direction of the hotel the team had booked for the night. Mercy held on to his hand by her shoulder with her other arm linked around his waist. She snorted out a laugh and leaned heavily into him, stumbling over the uneven ground.

She had refused to shoot more than three shots of Tequila, reciting that ridiculous rhyme at Reyes stubbornly. Reyes teased her by asking if she was twelve which earned him a swift kick under the table. He was glad she didn’t try to match him shot-for-shot because despite being  _ piss drunk  _ she could walk herself. Almost.

“Oh ,  _ um Himmels willen _ , Gabi!” she laughed leaning her head back against his arm.

“How many fucking times do I have to tell you  I don’t speak German.” Reyes replied annoyed. She rolled her head to look at him, a slow grin spreading over her face. “And I swear to god if you tell me Jack can speak German one more time you’re walking by yourself.”

It was an empty threat and she knew it. Mercy squeezed her eyes shut as she laughed again. Reyes growled rolling his eyes. She leaned into him again and he caught a whiff of a sweet musky scent from her hair. He dipped his head enough to inhale more of her scent. Pear, Freesia and some other floral notes. Reyes knew she didn’t wear perfume but Mercy liked scented lotions. After missions once they were safe on the ship she would remove her Valkyrie suit and begin the ritual of smoothing lotion over her skin.

“Aah, alright, alright.” She sighed dramatically, trying to suppress her giggles. “Wh… What was it that you asked?”

Mercy swayed away from Reyes unintentionally pulling them to almost stumble into a vespa parked near the archway before the hotel.

“Jesus Christ, Ange--!”

“OH! Oh! That’s right, what sort of men I like, yes?”

Reyes growled pulling her tighter against his body as he redirected their steps to the road. Mercy chewed her lip a moment, her eyes squinted like she was concentrating on a complex algorithm.

“Do you remember that young doctor when we were in Ilios a few months back?” Mercy began, turning her head to look up at Reyes. “The one with Doctors Without Borders?”

Reyes frowned. He did remember. The doctor was the epitome of idealized male beauty. He was tall, tan, sparkling green eyes and had a smile that made all the women weak.

“Pretty boys, huh?” Reyes spoke in a bitter tone keeping his eyes straight ahead. “I should have guessed.”

The memory of Mercy smiling softly with the doctor as they worked together with refugees and victims of terrorist attacks. There was so much unnecessary touching, and fluttering eyelashes and whispered conversations it made him sick to think on it. She probably fucked him. The thought burned hot in the pit of Reyes’s stomach and he grit his teeth. Why the fuck should he care? She’s a grown ass woman capable of doing whatever the fuck she pleases.

Mercy slowed as they neared the steps leading down toward the side entrance of the hotel. She held her foot out carefully analyzing the distance before stepping down.

“Not necessarily,” Mercy replied after a moment. “I like dark skin, and strong hands.”

Her hand on his waist tightened and Reyes allowed himself to think it wasn’t because of the difficulty of the steps in her drunkenness. She let go of his hand at her shoulder and slid her arm out from around his waist when they neared the door. Reyes grunted as he eyed her wobbly walk.

“So did you fuck him?” He didn’t really mean to ask but found that he was unable to just ignore his curious jealousy.

Mercy gripped the doorknob swaying as she turned to glare at Reyes. Her cheeks burned a bright bubblegum pink and he knew she was embarrassed.

“I try not to make a habit of having sex with strangers.” She huffed.

“Sooo…” Reyes waved his hand indicating for her to actually answer his question instead of tip toeing around it.

“No, Gabriel, I did not  _ fuck _ him!” Mercy hissed in a whisper as she yanked the door open and stomping inside the hotel.

Reyes followed her through the door, the corner of his mouth quirked up. Mercy very rarely swore and it was always so fucking funny when she did. The lobby of the rustic hotel was empty except for the courtesy clerk behind the counter. They looked up from their phone to watch Mercy’s weaving steps into the inner courtyard and glanced at Reyes before returning to their attention to their phone.

“That’s a shame.” Reyes quipped, shoving his hands in the pockets of his sweatpants as he followed Mercy to her room. “You’re so uptight, you could’ve used the lay.”

Mercy glared at him over her shoulder as she fumbled with her room key card. “I’m not talking to you.”

She was pouting and Reyes’s shoulders shook with silent laughter. He followed her into the small hotel room. He instinctively shifted into security mode as he shut the door behind him. He walked swiftly to the single window of the room and checked to make sure it was still locked while Mercy toed off her sandals. He drew the blinds hiding the view of the bay. He ran his fingertips under the edge of the table to ensure there were no ‘bugs’. Reyes checked behind the bathroom door and opened the closet. Mercy’s scent greeted his nose when the door swung open. She had hung up her doctor’s coat, a spare set of scrubs, and a couple of other clothing items.

“Here, could you hang this up?”

Reyes looked at the tunic Mercy presented to him and his forehead furrowed.

“I’m not your goddamn maid.” He responded gruffly but took the garment anyway.

Mercy smirked at him with a raised brow. “But you’re so helpful.” She quipped.

Reyes rolled his eyes as he hung up the garment. Mercy slipped past him to the bathroom and began rummaging through her toiletry bag.

“Since you’re being so helpful-”

“No.” Reyes responded immediately while folding his arms across his broad chest.

“Can you bring those glasses over here? We need some electrolytes so we don’t wake up dehydrated.” Mercy continued as if he hadn’t already denied her request.

Reyes growled and snatched the complimentary glasses from the table. Despite being drunk her doctor brain was still working rationally, and he knew she would be relentless in making sure he took whatever supplement she had. He  joined her in the bathroom and thrusted the glasses at her. Mercy stood with her hip jutted out near the sink. She swayed a little as she turned to drop a capsule into each glass before taking them from Reyes and filling them with water. The capsule fizzed as the water diluted it. She handed Reyes a glass and smiled as he took it. The smell of medicine and lemon-lime flavoring assaulted his nose as he drank deeply. It wasn’t the worst substance a doctor had made him drink. During his enhancement he had to drink plenty of foul smelling and tasting medicines. He could feel Mercy watching him. He glanced at her and could tell her eyes were following the lines of the scars on his face. She fluttered her eyelashes when her eyes met his and her smile grew into a sheepish grin at being caught. Reyes set his empty glass on the counter and turned to leave her to drink her electrolytes.

They had spent time together before, not just on missions, but this time it felt different. It felt more intimate. Reyes raked his fingers through his short hair as he looked around the room. The locker she kept her Valkyrie suit in was at the end of the bed. She had stuck stickers from all the different cities she had visited on it. His eyes narrowed as he stared at a sticker depicting the lighthouse from Ilios. He wondered briefly if she was going to ask him to stay. It was stupid. Their relationship wasn’t like that. They were both professional, they were friends, and she was drunk. Reyes had done a lot of questionable things in his life but he had absolutely never taken advantage of someone who was drunk, and he wasn’t going to start with her. Never her.

The sound of fabric rustling drew his attention to the where Mercy stood wiggling out of her pants. She had taken out her ponytail and her blond hair lay across her shoulders. Reyes frowned.

“Go to bed.” he spoke in a demanding tone as he turned to leave.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay and cuddle?” Mercy chuckled behind him.

Reyes froze in front of the door. It was a forward enough question that was out of character for her so he chose to believe it was a joke and not an actually invitation.  _ Dios ayúdame, _ he did want to stay and wrap around her delicate limbs, to feel the softness of her porcelain skin. He clenched his hands into fists as he looked over his shoulder at her.

“Ange…” Reyes murmured.

Mercy’s smile faltered a little.  _ Fuck _ .

“ ‘M sorry. Not funny.” she mumbled tucking some stray strands of hair behind her ear. “Good night.”

Reyes stared at her, his mouth a firm line. The air between them hung thick with tension in the silence. After what felt like an eternity Reyes pulled open the door and stepped through.

  
“Night, doc.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the record, Mercy wasn't looking for a drunken lay. She was legitimately wanting cuddles.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time supposedly heals all wounds, but there is no guarantee it will be a swift recovery.

“I really, really,  _ really _ hope that’s not blood.”

Mercy stood frozen in the kitchen doorway of the Overwatch Gibraltar base. Jesse McCree smiled sheepishly at the medic, holding a dish towel that was progressively turning red in a tight grasp.

“Well in that case Doc, I have some bad news…” McCree replied in his usual charming southern drawl.

Mercy huffed a sigh as her usual smile slid into place. She didn’t have any siblings, and despite their similar age she often felt like an older sister to the man. He was kind of clumsy, and somehow always ending up with a bleeding wound that he came to her to take care of. Mercy had vouched for Jesse when Overwatch disbanded the Deadlock Gang he ran with. She argued that every person deserved a second chance; a shot at redemption. She also argued that sentencing a man to death would send a very dark message about Overwatch. Even though she was not the best with a firearm she recognized his talent and knew he would be a valuable asset to the organization. Reyes had been furious with her, and of course with Jack who sided with her. He didn’t trust McCree as far as he could throw him, but Mercy insisted and Reyes conceded begrudgingly. Since then Jesse proved to be a valuable member of the team, and his charm won many over; except Reyes.

McCree closed the distance between them and carefully pulled the dish towel from his hand.

“Uh, do you reckon this will need stitches?” he asked her while staring at the bleeding laceration between his thumb and forefinger.

Out of habit from her clinic days Mercy always kept extra pairs of rubber examination gloves in one of the pockets of her medical jacket. She pulled on a pair and gently took his hand in hers to examine the wound.

“What happened, Jesse?” She asked, gently poking the wound to test its depths.

McCree sucked a breath through his teeth sharply, wincing at the pain.

“I was tryin’ to make some coffee, but the mugs all fell out when I opened the cupboard.” McCree explained, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand. “I tried to catch ‘em, but damn things broken anyway.”

Mercy hummed a response giving a slight nod, pressing the dish rag back over the wound.

“You will need a few.” She told him pulling off the gloves. She smiled sympathetically as McCree deflated, his shoulders slumping. “I’ll even make you coffee free of charge when I’m through.”

“Well, that’s mighty kind of you ma’am.” McCree replied, tipping his hat to her with a wink.

Mercy giggled and playfully pushed him as she led the way out of the kitchen. She thought his antiquated western aesthetic was charming. When he was first being simulated in Overwatch she had made a point to spend time with him, to ensure there was at least one friendly face to make the transition easier. During that time she discovered that McCree knew a lot of what some might say is now archaic history. Overwatch was sent to help with the clean up of some Vishkar mess in Rio de Janeiro, and during their rotation for nightwatch Mercy asked him why the American frontier had fascinated him. McCree turned his eyes to the night sky glittering with stars. The smile he gave the heavens reached his eyes.

“It represents dreams. That no matter the struggle a man faces he can be transformed into who he was always meant to be.” he explained, his eyes sparkling just as bright as the stars in the sky.

Mercy was pulled from her memories as they neared the infirmary. The loud shouts of an argument were barely audible through the doors. Her mouth set in a hard line and her eyes narrowed. She knew this wasn’t her hospital in Switzerland. She knew the Gibraltar base was like a commune where every space was shared by everyone but she couldn’t help but feel that the infirmary was  _ hers _ , and she wouldn’t tolerate anyone who had the audacity to argue shamelessly in her sacred place.

Mercy squared her shoulders as she slid the door open, fully prepared to escort the offenders out of her infirmary. Recognition dawned on her face, and the fiery annoyance that had built up in her sputtered out when her eyes found Reyes and Ana snarling in each other’s faces.

“It’s none of your  _ goddamn  _ business, Amari.” Reyes snarls, jabbing a finger in the sharpshooter’s face.

Shoving her hands into her pockets to keep from wringing them, Mercy swallowed against her heart that leapt into her throat. It had been a little over a month since the night Reyes and she drank together in Dorado; since she had fumbled with their friendship. There had been long silences between them since that time. There was not much idle chit-chat anymore and the air hung heavy, and anxiety and regret tied knots in Mercy’s stomach.

“There’s tension,  _ al'amir alssaghir _ ,” Ana’s voice was low and fierce. “And it’s spreading to all of us so it  _ is _ my business.”

They stare at each other in silence for a moment, and McCree shifts beside Mercy reminding her of why she came to the infirmary in the first place. She inhaled deeply gathering her courage and cleared her throat. Reyes and Ana snapped their attention to her as she and McCree walked fully into the room. Reyes’s eyes immediately found Mercy’s and she could feel her cheeks burn. It was a brief moment before he glared at McCree. Ana’s eyes swept over each of them with trained precision and the line between her brows deepened.

“Why is he bleeding?” She asked nodding toward the bloodied rag in McCree’s hand.

“Because  _ he’s _ an  _ idiot _ .” Reyes sneers turning his attention to the medication dispensing machine.

“I’m right here, y’know.” McCree held out his arms glaring daggers at Reyes.

Ana snorted. “I didn’t know idiocy caused people to just start bleeding spontaneously.”

She was a mother and a soldier, and Mercy was always impressed with how she could balance between the two so easily. Ana walked over to the examination table where Mercy had made McCree sit. Mercy smiled softly as she moved to the counter hearing Ana mumble “Are you alright,  _ habib qulbaa _ ?” to McCree.

“Why does the fucking passcode keep changing?” Reyes snapped suddenly, punching in a series of numbers into the dispensary.

Mercy frowned changing her steps to approach the ever surly dark man. “It’s regulated by the pharmaceutical companies, Gabriel.”

Reyes turns his head, assessing her with an expression she can’t quite read but she recognizes the accusatory look in his eyes. She sighed exasperatedly and shook her head as she stops beside him.

“Every hospital and pharmacy is regulated the same way.” She explains in a carefully measured tone.

Her forehead creased with concern as she studied his face. Reyes had been caught in an explosion during their last skirmish, and Mercy remembers struggling with him to let her realign the shoulder he dislocated before he returned to the battle. Jack had to physically pin him for Mercy to pop the joint back into it’s place. Reyes slung some choice words at the two of them and barely acknowledged them afterwards.

“Is your shoulder--?” Mercy began tentatively lifting a hand to touch the offending part of his body.

“Migraine.” Reyes deftly cut her off, a bite to his tone.

“Ah.” Mercy nodded slowly, her hand retreating to rest on the counter top. “56487.”

That heavy silence that had made it’s home between them over the last few weeks settled over them. Mercy arranged the instruments she needed to close the laceration on McCree’s hand with practiced precision. There had been silences between them before but they had been comfortable and not oppressing. Mercy pressed her eyes shut for a brief moment. She silently rebuked herself for what might have been the one thousandth time for reading too much into the way Reyes behaved around her. Mercy wanted to believe the relentless teasing, the way their fingers would bump when they walked together, how he always found her immediately after a mission to check to see if she’s alright was a sign of something more than friendship. Now all there was was tension. She needed to fix this, to stitch back together their friendship.

“Thanks, Doc.” Reyes mumbled as he passed behind her, pills clutched in his hand.

“Of course.” she replied and turned her head to watch him leave the room.

She stared after him for a moment turning her stare to the medical tray in her hands. Mercy tensed her shoulders before forcing them to relax with a forced exhale. She turned and stopped suddenly meeting the stares of Ana and McCree. A flush crept up her face as her eyes went round. McCree’s jaw was slack and his mouth fell open a little, his expression a little dazed as if he didn’t believe what he just witnessed. Mercy wondered what the scene looked like to him, wondering if he could see the underlying tension just as much as she felt it. Ana’s sharp eyes bore into Mercy, the corner of her mouth quirked up in a knowing smile.

Mercy forced a smile as she made her way over.“Do I have something on my face?” Her voice was strained despite the fact that she was trying to make it light.

“Yes,  _ habibtaa _ , it looks like a crush.” Ana chuckled leaning toward Mercy to peer into her face.

“I’m not talking about it!” Mercy blurted out, roughly swabbing McCree’s wound with alcohol.

“ _ Ow _ , Angie!” He hissed, cringing from the stinging pain. His brows drew together as if he were concentrating on a particular difficult puzzle. “Hold up, I thought you were Jack’s special lady?”

Mercy flashed a glare at his face while she injected a local anesthetic. “I’m not anyone’s special lady.” she mumbled pointedly ignoring McCree wincing.

McCree sucked a slow breath through his teeth looking between Mercy’s skilled fingers pulling the threaded needle through his skin and her face set with an expression of cold indifference.

“Reyes?” McCree pressed incredulously. “He’s mean enough to hunt bears with a hickory switch!”

“ _ Hush _ , Jesse.” Ana smacked his shoulder lightly as she shushed him.

Mercy bit her bottom lip, her face growing progressively hot as the blush reached her ears. She kept her eyes fixed on her work, and was happy for the distraction. She was embarrassed, and frustrated, and angry all at once and the emotions sat like rocks in her stomach. She was angry at herself for letting her feelings for Reyes, her  _ commander _ , to grow into something more than they should. She was embarrassed that her teammates had witnessed the tension between them, and how Ana’s motherly intuition read right through her. She was frustrated from McCree’s assumption that she was   _ Jack’s lady _ . But he was right about Reyes being mean, and it frustrated her in a different way. Ana’s hand on her shoulder pulled her from her thoughts and she glanced up at her.

“We will talk later,” Ana spoke in a gentle tone giving Mercy’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “ _ Abseits von neugierigen Nachbarn _ .”

  
Ana’s accent gave her German a little flair that Mercy loved and she offered the older woman a weak smile. Part of her didn’t want to talk about this but another part of her was screaming for help. She nodded in agreement feeling a tiny bit better already.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My headcanon is that Ana has Arabic nicknames for everyone, and McCree is a klutz. Also I'm sorry if this chapter is redundant but for some reason it was so hard to write and I was just desperately trying to finish ;^; Also, what are summaries?


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If at first you don't succeed, do it like your mother told you.

Nights were always cold on Gibraltar no matter the season or weather. The breeze rolling off the ocean kept the nights crisp and demanding everyone to wear layers. The sky was partially cloudy and obscured the moon from giving its full radiance. Mercy and Ana sat together on top of the supply crates that were stacked outside one of the workshops overlooking the ocean.

Steam spiral lazily from the mug clasped between Mercy’s hands. She watched it disappear, exhaling slowly against its infinite current. She was wrapped in a wool afghan bearing a midwestern tribal motif (a gift from McCree his first Christmas with Overwatch). Mercy tipped her head inhaling the calming scents of cinnamon, ginger, cardamon and cloves of the tea in her mug.

She looked over at Ana who was pressed against her side still wearing her Strike uniform, and holding her own mug of tea between gloved hands. They sat in a comfortable silence since they settled, listening to the waves crash against the rocks.

“It’s odd, isn’t it?” Mercy’s question cut through the stillness unprovoked.

In the corner of her eye she could see Ana turn her head to study her with those keen eyes. Mercy kept her eyes on the endless expanse of water.

“He couldn’t be more opposite of who I am.” Mercy said, absent mindedly tracing a finger around the rim of her mug. “Gabriel can be brash, cocky, and arrogant. Shoot first, ask questions later. Occasionally mean-spirited. We’re clearly not a good fit.”

Ana snorted looking back over the water. Mercy frowned at her watching the corners of the older woman’s eyes crinkle as she smiled.

“ _ Habibtaa _ , you and Reyes have many similarities too. “ Ana replied before taking a sip of her tea.

Mercy waited a beat expecting Ana to continue. She pivoted in place to face the Egyptian sharpshooter. “Such as?” she prompted.

Ana chuckled, shaking her head lightly. “Both of you are impatient, and prideful.”

Mercy’s shoulders slumped and sighed heavily hanging her head. Ana shifted and placed her hand on Mercy’s knee.

“Both of you are very dedicated to your work and care about the success of your teammates.” Ana continued, her tone soft and motherly. “You are able to support each other in ways that the rest of us cannot.”

Mercy brought her eyes to Ana’s. They were sharp and held wisdom Mercy couldn’t fathom the depths off.

“You  _ ground _ each other.” Ana squeezed Mercy’s knee to punctuate her words. “You are his voice of reason when he forgets his conscience, and he keeps you fierce.”

It was something Mercy hadn’t considered before. Jack was generally the first person Reyes turned to when he needed help with a decision. He typically doesn’t like Jack’s answers so he’d ask her. Mercy’s views were similar to that of Jack’s and her suggestions were very much the same, but Reyes would consider them more closely. So many expected Mercy to be kind and gentle. Overwatch’s angel; a symbol of hope. The weight of it was heavy but Reyes never had the same expectations as everyone else. He knew she couldn’t always be soft and serene, and he appreciated her firmness, her sharp edges. Mercy smiled softly, dropping her gaze to her cooling cup of tea.

“What happened in Dorado?”

Mercy’s face flushed hot. She had tried desperately to push the memory away, and it all came flooding back in near nauseating waves. She couldn’t bring her eyes to meet Ana’s scrutinizing gaze.

“We had a few drinks,” Mercy began slowly. “We, well,  _ I _ was drunk and he walked me back to my room and I invited him to stay.”

“ _ Angela! _ ” Mercy could feel the weight of Ana’s look of disapproval as much as she could hear it in her tone.

“Not to have sex!” Mercy interjected quickly, suddenly feeling too warm despite the chill of the night. She set her mug beside her and rubbed her hands over her face.

“It was foolish, but I just wanted to be close to him. I thought maybe there was  _ something _ there, that he considered me more than a teammate and friend but I just embarrassed myself.” the words poured out of her like a stream that burst through a dam; her voice muffled behind her hands.

Mercy curled in around herself as if trying to shrink away. She could feel Ana’s sharp eyes burning holes into her, making her feel more vulnerable if that was at all possible. When she spoke her tone was level.

“You need to speak with him.”

“I know.” Mercy choked on the words.

Ana reached over and gently pulled Mercy’s hands from her face. Mercy’s eyes were wet from tears of frustration.

“The worst thing he can say is that he does not share your feelings, but the best thing he can say is that he  _ does _ .” Ana said, offering a comforting smile. “Everything will happen as it is meant to be.  _ Ghadaan yawm akhir _ .”

Mercy gave Ana a wet smile while melting into the motherly embrace she gave. Mercy would have given anything to have been able to  call her own mother for advice, but Ana had filled the empty space left in her heart. There were many Overwatch operatives that were mothers, but Ana took care of others like they were her own. She seemed to have a limitless amount of love. Ana wasn’t much older than Jack and Reyes but when she’d scold them their tails would tuck between their legs. Captain Amari; team mom.

The night sky was overcome by gray clouds heavy with rain. Ana had walked Mercy part of the way back to her quarters before excusing herself to call her daughter before it became too late. The mugs from their tea clinked together as Mercy maneuvered to carry them by their in handles in one hand, and pulled the afghan tighter around her shoulders making her way to the kitchen. Her steps felt lighter. She still felt anxious about confessing her feelings to Reyes and all the possible outcomes threatened to drown her. She steadied her breathing tucking the mugs into the dishwasher. Mercy closed her eyes, exhaling slowly as she repeated Ana’s words like a mantra. _ Ghadaan yawm akhir _ ; Tomorrow is another day.

Resisting the urge to tidy up the shared space Mercy decided to finally retire to her room. The halls were quiet except for the soft sound of her footsteps. She dug in her pocket for her key card and stalled hearing the distinct timber of Jack’s voice down the hall. The two of them rarely went to bed at the same time considering that he stayed up to help Reyes with the paperwork that he hated to do. Mercy tapped her key card against her lip before walking in the direction of Jack’s room having decided to wish him a good night. As she drew closer to the intersection she noticed that Jack was speaking with someone. She slowed her steps straining her ears to identify who it might be. She half expected it to be Reyes and she most definitely wasn’t ready to face him.

“I can’t stay, Jack.” It was Ana, her tone breathless and desperate.

Mercy’s brow knitted as she slowed to a stop. She swallowed hard feeling a twinge of guilt for eavesdropping on her friends. She pressed herself against the wall as she peeked around the corner. Her eyes widened. Jack was clutching Ana flush against his body, their foreheads pressed together.

“Ana, please,  _ I need you _ .” Jack pleaded in a tone that mirrored the older woman’s.

  
Ana scanned his eyes a moment before giving an almost indiscernible nod. Their mouths found each other in hungry kisses as they slipped into Jack’s room. Mercy slid back behind the corner pressing her fingers to her lips. She had the distinct feeling that things were going to get even more complicated within the Strike Team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm throwing some more spices into the mix. I hope it was a spicy enough cliffhanger for you all!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Forcing himself to be cold for so long has made it difficult for Reyes to warm up and confront his feelings.
> 
> TW: Mentions of domestic violence and child abuse.

There was nothing gentle about Reyes. If anyone could ask his mother,  _ Dios tenda en su gloria _ , she would tell them that he always had rough edges. Reyes remembered having fun with the other hoodrats of his neighborhood, but nothing really stood out like putting himself between his screaming mother and his father’s blows. Reyes learned to fight from his father. It wasn’t clean, and it wasn’t the playful boxing that the white families portrayed on tv.  His father was a gangster wannabe deadbeat that provided for them by being a fence for one of the gangs that plagued L.A..

He was 13 when he hit his father back. It shocked everyone into silence for a brief moment before his father grabbed him by his shirt to spit in his face.

“Oh, ya think you’re a big man,  _ marcion _ ?” he had said, slamming Reyes into a wall. “Show me just how man enough you think you are!”

His mother would always patch him up, tears streaming down her face as she told him this wasn’t what she wanted for him. He would repeat the promise he made when he was 7; a promise she never asked for.

“Mama, as long as he’s alive I’ll be here to protect you.”

His father died when Reyes was 17. He was shot down like the dog he was outside their apartment. No one saw a thing.

L.A. was a shit city if you weren’t wealthy and white. Reye’s mother took a job as a live-in housekeeper for some software engineer and his family. He was the husband of one of the ladies she did alterations for.

“Never be too proud to ask for help when you need it.” She told him as they packed their lives into boxes.

Reyes remembers being angry with his mother, wondering why she hadn’t taken her own advice when they really needed it. If she had he wouldn’t have had to explain away his bruises and broken fingers to concerned teachers. He wouldn’t have had to sit in confession admitting how much he wished he could snuff the light of life from his father himself. Instead he told Father Ramos to go fuck himself when he tried to tell him that he just needed to pray more.

Senior of high school had been the first taste of normalcy had had and it felt uncomfortable. A restless energy thrummed under his skin that wouldn’t subside no matter how much he ran, or fucked, or whatever other strenuous activity he tried to elevate that feeling. The only solace he found was with beating the shit out of pretentious yuppie kids.

The family he lived with had two younger boys that were freshman and nerdy as hell. They were often the target of teasing or harsh bullying, and Reyes made a point to walk them home. The jocks that were always responsible for the bullying, and were more than happy to have another victim, but their laughs quickly turned to screams as Reyes’s fists found them again, and again.

L.A. was a great city for the white and privileged, but was a beast ready to tear up it’s minorities. Reyes was reminded of this sitting in the courthouse after one of the rich white pricks pressed charges. Reyes hated that goddamn city, hated what it represented, what memories it held that would haunt him, and he wanted nothing more than to leave. He was lucky that the charges were dropped thanks to his mom’s boss having the slickest lawyer ever. The worst thing he got was a talking to from his mom’s employer, and it felt like the worst thing only because his only interactions with fathers were with his own, and it always ended with exchanging blows. Reyes felt uncomfortable when he was told he was a good person, and that his strength could protect a lot of people if he knew how to be responsible with it. Reyes couldn’t stop himself from telling him how much he hated where he was from, hated the city, hated the way it made him a monster, and that he wanted to leave and never look back but felt trapped because he was a poor latino kid.

His conversation companion listened quietly and waited a beat before speaking. “T. S. Eliot once wrote “Sometimes things become possible if we want them bad enough.”.”

After graduation Reyes joined the military, rising through the ranks quickly. He was picked for the Soldier Enhancement program and he met Jack; the ever idylistic golden boy who was irritating as shit. They were like oil and water, and despite their obvious dislike for each other they worked together beautifully. Reyes would never admit it but he liked Jack, might even call him a friend.

Overwatch was formed and after a few months he and Jack were went to Switzerland to recruit a sought after medical genius. Reyes had expected to find some old geezer with one foot already in the grave, but instead it was Angela Ziegler.

He remembered thinking she was beautiful. She was feisty and perceptive having seen right through their poorly constructed backstory of being lost and looking for directions. She had conditions to joining and Reyes agreed to all of them, much to Jack’s dismay. It wasn’t like he had to personally deliver, it was Overwatch.

Angela -Mercy- was everything Reyes wasn’t. She was gentle and caring. She could be hard, unforgiving, and stubborn as hell but it wasn’t the same way Reyes was. There wasn’t darkness in her. He thought that maybe that was the reason why he liked her. She was a light in the dark pit that was the world. They became close, like the way he and Jack were close. The three of them were near inseparable and Reyes glared daggers at anyone who made the obvious joke by calling them the Three Musketeers.

She became irreplaceable both as an ally and a friend. Reyes liked having her around to add balance to the chaos. He liked hearing her tinkling laugh, the comfort of her hand on his arm. He liked being around her, and he genuinely didn’t like being around people that shared her demeanor. It was probably why it pissed him off that she and Jack spent time together. He wasn’t jealous. Just because they had “secret” coffee dates together first thing in the morning or whispered about him behind his back didn’t mean he was jealous. He liked her but he knew that Jack was more her type, or that’s what he thought until their latest trip to Dorado.

Reyes didn’t know how to recover from that night. He had acted irresponsibly, and pushed Mercy to act uncharacteristically. He almost let himself believe that maybe she did want to cuddle. He meant to ask her to clarify but he found that he couldn’t approach her without overbearing awkward tension and it pissed him off, which didn’t help the situation. It didn’t help that “Mama Bear” Amari somehow picked up on it and cornered him in the infirmary when he finally decided to talk to Mercy and fucked it up for him. He wished for the first time that he knew how to soften, to be more approachable.

“Commander! We’re ready to move out, sir.”

The Fountana di Trevi faded back into view as Reyes came back to the present. Sometimes the past can make the ground feel like quicksand and it was easy to get swallowed up. He was rolling a coin between his fingers tearing his eyes from the turquoise water to look at the agent who called to him.

“Affirmative.” he responded with a nod.

The agent gave a brief salute before jogging off in the direction of the convoy. Reyes’s gaze moved to where Mercy stood talking to Kimiko by one of the vehicles. The two women were sharing smiles and soft chuckles and Reyes tore his eyes away to the baroque masterpiece. Kimiko had three kids at home and always, without fail, would call them to read them a story before they went to bed. One particular line from one of the kiddie stories that stood out to him came back to the forefront of his mind as he brought his eyes to the coin in his fingers.

“‘There’s no point having wishes if you don’t at least try to do them.’ ” Reyes mumbled to himself.

With a final glance at the fountain Reyes tossed the coin into the waters before joining his team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a slow, boring backstory chapter and I'm sorry but it was necessary for set up ;^;  
> Some of my backstory headcanons were inspired from MidwesternDuchess's Overwatch works (please go read them, they're wonderful!).


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mercy and Reyes stared at each other in the darkness as confessions hung in the air like the rain that fell on a war torn city.

It had been 60 hours since Mercy last slept and her body was crying out from fatigue. A small scale civil war had broke out in Cuenca, Ecuador between the omnic and humans that lived there. Overwatch was able to contain the unrest, but several days after their arrival the onmics had resorted to guerrilla warfare and began to attack the cathedrals during mass, and the universities during peak hours to ensure maximum damage. The heart of the city was nearly leveled when the government resorted to heavy artillery fire against the omnics. Civilians and Overwatch agents alike were caught in the crossfire and Mercy had her work cut out for her. She stuck with her team to empower them but left frequently to heal civilians as she escorted them toward safety. She had to draw her Caduceus Blaster more times than she’d have liked to either protect herself or provide cover fire for her allies. Mercy tried to comfort herself with the knowledge that with each life she took she had saved hundreds more but guilt still needled at her. 

The air tasted like dust and her feet were killing her. Mercy had gotten separated from the rest of the Overwatch agents when the fighting had started to die down. The wings of her Valkyrie suit had been damaged from an explosion and fluttered lifelessly behind her as she weaved her way around wreckage. She ducked into an alley, placing her hand on the wall of a building as she paused to catch her breath. She squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to calm her racing thoughts. She told herself not to worry about her team because Ana was with them, and that she herself would be fine without her flight capabilities. Everything was going to be fine.

“Doc, where the hell are you?!”

Reyes’s voice over the communicator that had been silent for several minutes startled her enough to raise her Caduceus Blaster and aim blindly around her.

“Y-Yes, I’m here!” Mercy’s voice shook from adrenaline. “I’m on my way back to the rendezvous point.”

Mercy pushed off the wall and continued down the alley, scanning the rooftops for any combatants straggling behind.

“What the hell is taking you so damn long?” Reyes’s tone was rightfully irritated.

Mercy swallowed before responding, forcing her voice to be steady. “My suit is damaged. I’m moving on foot.” She closed her eyes briefly as Reyes swore.

“Don’t move, I’m coming to get you.” Mercy could tell Reyes had started to run by the somewhat breathlessness to his words. “And for fuck’s sake don’t corner yourself by holeing up somewhere!”

“Gabriel, I don’t need you to come get me, I’m almost there!” Mercy replied indignantly, her brows knitting together.

She swore under her breath when he didn’t respond. She wasn’t going to sit idly by and wait for him. If there were still enemies around staying stationary was a very poor choice. Mercy stuck to the edges of the main road so that she could duck into a building if she needed. She felt relieved that Reyes was alright, and something akin to butterflies fluttered in her chest. She chastised herself telling herself that now wasn’t the time to let her feelings bubble to the surface. This was a war zone. She needed to focus.

The sound of heavy boots caused her to duck into a gutted out bookstore. She stepped carefully around fallen bookcases, her heart beating rapidly as she held her Caduceus Blaster at the ready. The list of vital points on the human body rushed to the forefront of her mind. She exhaled a slow breath, raising the blaster as the footfalls drew closer to her location. Mercy glanced quickly around and noticed a hole in the wall. If she fired off a few shots it could distract her attacker enough to escape in hopes that Reyes found her before the attacker had a chance to catch up. The scuff of boots on paper forced her eyes back to storefront and she raised her blaster, finger ready to squeeze the trigger, blood rushing in her ears. Every possible outcome ticked off in her mind and she felt fear nibble at her flesh. She saw the barrel of the gun first, her eyes widening as Reyes moved swiftly into her view. They held each other’s gaze for a heartbeat before they each lowered their weapons.

“God  _ dammit _ , Angela I gave you  _ one _ simple instruction!” Reyes snapped, his upper lip curled in a snarled.

Mercy found her feet carrying her forward before she could really comprehend that she was moving. Reyes’s expression of hard irritation contorted with confusion as she threw her arms around his neck. He smelt like sweat, blood, gunpowder, and his own unique spice. Mercy felt overwhelmed by her emotions and she couldn't pinpoint why she felt she needed to hold him. Reyes was rigid in her embrace and his arms were held awkwardly out to the side. 

“I’m sorry.” Mercy said softly as she slipped her arms free and took a step away from him. She was apologizing for not following orders, but mostly sorry for the unwarranted embrace.

When she sheepishly met his gaze she was surprised to find that his expression was soft despite the crease in his brow.

“It’s hard for me to hold you with guns in my hands.” Reyes spoke barely above a whisper.

Mercy stared at him doe eyed for a moment, unsure if she heard him correctly. His expression hardened once more and he turned away.

“Let’s go.”

Mercy stared after him for a moment before following him.

 

* * *

It began as a whisper, a silent drizzle that darkened the concrete and softly kissed the hair and shoulders of those still outside. Dark and heavy clouds blocked the moon from illuminating it’s pale light. The drizzle soon began to form in heavy, swollen drops and soon a torrent of rain was falling on the broken city. The temporary base Overwatch was using was still buzzing with tension as agents carried out various duties. Mercy, having shed her armor, was sitting in her underarmor catsuit at table in the room that was serving as an infirmary. She had just finished her rounds checking on the agents that were wounded, and exhaustion was settling into her bones. She sighed, leaning on to her elbows with her face in her hands.

There was so many things that needed to be taken care of, people to check on but all she wanted to do was see Reyes. See Reyes, and sleep for 20 years. It was irresponsible, she knew this, but her mind wouldn’t let go of the look on Reyes’s face or his words when she had hugged him.  _ I can’t hold you with guns in my hands. _ There was something so sad about his words and it made tears sting her eyes. She released a breath she didn’t know she was holding with a slight gasp as a hand settled on her shoulder. She blinked her eyes, turning to the nurse who smiled down at her.

“Commander Reyes told me to relieve you.” The nurse spoke softly, a sympathetic smile on her face.

Mercy snorted as she pushed herself to her feet, shaking her head slightly. “Oh, did he now.”

“Yeah, I did.” Reyes was standing in the doorway peeling off his body armor, raining water dripping down his face. He was soaked and small puddles were forming around his feet. “You look like crap.”

“You know how to compliment a lady.” Mercy replied primly, her voice cracking from fatigue. 

“C’mon, you need to get some rest. You’re basically dead on your feet.” Reyes said jerking his head to indicate that she follow him as he turned to walk down the hall.

Mercy quickly debriefed the nurse on the patients before following after Reyes at a brisk walk. He was already at the other end of the hall speaking with Jack and Gaspard. She had been paying attention minutely when they set up a system for watch, and she assumed Reyes was debriefing them before they started their shift. Jack noticed her first, and he smiled in a way that felt reassuring which made Mercy wonder what sort of expression she had. The two agents saluted Reyes before walking away just as Mercy reached them.

“The officer barracks aren’t fancy and they’re cramped as hell but it’s a lot better than some of the shit holes I’ve had to use.” Reyes spoke gruffly not looking at Mercy as he continued down the hall.

Mercy slowed to a stop watching Jack, Gaspard, and a group of agents walk out into the rain. Ana was returning with her team and she slowed to give Jack a significant look. To anyone else it might have looked like a glance between comrades, a nod of encouragement but Mercy knew it was so much more. If she didn’t know Jack as well as she did she wouldn’t have caught the slight twitch of his mouth in a phantom smile or the very brief softness in his gaze. Ana was harder to read but could read anyone so when the sharpshooter turned her gaze forward Mercy quickly jogged after Reyes. He was standing in the a doorway frowning at her.

“I’m sorry, should I have made sure he had time to kiss you goodbye?” Reyes sneered when she reached him.

Mercy huffed out a sigh and rolled her eyes. “I’m not the one you should be asking that.” Mercy mumbled, glancing over her shoulder at Ana before pushing past Reyes to enter the room.

The room was stuffed with cots and supply boxes. A single bare light bulb hung in the middle of the room and the song of the rain could be heard faintly rapping against a boarded up window. Mercy made her way over to one of the cots against the wall, glancing back at Reyes as he shut the door. He had a brow cocked as he considered her.

“Who should I be asking then?” his question was genuine and Mercy swallowed turning her back to him.

She busied herself with removing her hair tie and she could hear Reyes moving behind her, setting his body armor on the floor at their feet.

“I’m not suppose to know.” She said softly.

“What? He didn’t tell you on one of your little dates?” Reyes’s tone was teasing but it still bothered her.

She turned around and glared at him, hands clenched into fists at her sides. Reyes’s head was cocked to the side, the corner of his mouth quirked up as he settled on to the cot opposite her. It creaked under his weight.

“No, he didn’t tell me.” Mercy kept her voice low as she too sat on her cot. Part of her told her not to tell Reyes what she saw. She knew he would either confront Jack and Ana, or drop hints around them. The other part of her wanted to have a secret with Reyes. “I found out on accident.”

Reyes grinned impishly as he laid back with his arms behind his head. “Go on.”

Mercy sighed and moved over to the light switch and flicked it off.

“I saw him kissing someone.” she replied simply, picking her way through the room to her cot. “So I am  _ officially _ not “Jack’s Lady”.”

She laid on her side and could hear Reyes roll over with a chuckle.. The cots were close enough that she could sense him facing her.

“Are you going to tell me who the hell it was or do I have to guess?”

Mercy chewed her bottom not wanting to out Jack and Ana completely. “I didn’t watch long enough to see their face.”

It felt intimate laying in the dark facing each other. A sudden well of courage sprang in her chest and she drew in a steady breath.

“I’m sorry about Dorado.” she whispered.

Reyes was a silent for a moment. She could almost feel the sudden tension radiating off of him.

“You have nothing to apologize for, Ange.” he replied, an edge to his voice she couldn’t quite decipher.

“I do.” Mercy’s brow creased. “I didn’t mean to make things so uncomfortable, I--”

“I pressured you into drinking,” Reyes cut her off. “I should be the one apologizing to you.”

“It was my choice to drink.” Mercy replied, her eyes adjusting to the dark enough to make out his outline.

She could feel his eyes on her and she felt strangely vulnerable. This wasn’t how she imagined confessing. Not in the dark, not in a war zone. Mercy couldn’t tell if it was her intuition telling her now was the time or the exhaustion making her delusional.

“Gabriel--” her words died in a soft gasp as Reyes reached out and stroked her cheek.

_ “Dormir ahora, ángel. _ ” he whispered as he stroke soft circles with his thumb on her cheek.

It was almost like a spell. Her eyelids felt leaden and they fluttered closed. The lullaby of the rain against the window, and the warmth of Reyes’s hand paired with her exhaustion pulled her into a dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's 1:30 am and I have no idea what the summary is and I'm sorry for that, hahaha! I didn't proof read before posting but I'll check it over and fix them later. Thank you to all who have stayed with me so far!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the strike team is really good at eavesdropping on each other. Or, how Reyes finds out about Jack's affair.

It was 1900 hours, and Reyes glared at the paperwork littering his desk. Medical releases signed by Mercy, supply lists, and reports awaiting his signature. Plus whatever other tedious shit that needed to be filed away. The temptation to sweep all of it on the floor nibbled at him and Reyes swiveled in his chair so that his back was to the desk. Elbow resting on an armrest Reyes pressed his fingers to his temple pulling his phone from the pocket of his fatigues. His fingers swiped in his passcode and exhaled slowly through his nose as Mercy’s sleeping face greeted him.

He watched her sleep for what felt like hours that night in Ecuador. She tried to apologize for shit she didn’t have any right apologizing for. It stung thinking that she felt guilty for his irresponsible actions. Reyes wasn’t surprised with how fast Mercy fell asleep after he reached out to stroke her cheek and tell her to be quiet. He was more surprised that he let his hand linger, stroking the soft skin of her jawline, ghosting his thumb over her lips. The memory made him feel dirty, and it didn’t help that he snapped a picture of her before waking her the next morning; that he made it his fucking background.

“ _ Eres patetico, idiota. _ ” Reyes hissed pushing himself from the chair.

He shoved his phone back into his pocket glaring at the digital clock. 15 after. Jack was late. Reyes was sure that if he asked he could get some wet-eared yeoman to come help him with the never ending mountain of paperwork, but having Jack break his back trying to organize that shit tickled him. Normally Jack would meet Reyes in his office after dinner, and being the boy scout he was, he was always on time. Except for tonight.

Leaving his office Reyes directed his feet in the direction of the officer’s mess hall. Suppressing an eyeroll from a young agent who practically tripped over themselves to greet him, Reyes swiped his keycard in the lock of his destination. He stopped in the doorway to scan the room, his eyes catching Ana’s gaze. The sharpshooter held a worn book in one hand as she absentmindedly stirred her sorry excuse for broccoli cheddar soup. A small smile tugged at her lips.

“Morrison?” Reyes’s tone was sharper than he intended.

He watched Ana lean back in her chair, tucking her bangs behind her ear. Her gaze faltered, drifting to the side a moment before returning to gaze at Reyes.

“I think he mentioned something about hitting the range before meeting with you.” Ana replied.

A line formed between Reyes’s brows and his jaw crossed. Something was off about the Egyptian but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He wordlessly left the doorway and headed in the direction of the firing range.

Adjustments had been made to the standard Pulse Rifle since Ecuador and Reyes knew that for whatever reason the higher ups tasked Jack with testing its capabilities, and try to push it beyond its normal firing power. Just a fancy way to say they wanted their favorite toy soldier to try and break his new gun. Reyes raised his hand to press the release button for the door to the firing range when it slid open revealing two snickering agents.

“Oh! Evening, commander.” one of the agents greeted him as he and his companion both saluted.

Reyes could hear an argument further into the range as he gave a quick salute in return.

“Be careful, Commander.” the other agent chuckled as the pair walked around Reyes. “There’s a lover’s spat going down in there.”

As much as he would have liked to Reyes couldn’t fight the confused look he gave the agents as they walked away. Irritation and annoyance took over and he balled his hands into fists as he marched into the room. Who the fuck brings personal shit into the gun range? That’s a whole lot of paperwork and cover up Reyes didn’t want to deal with if the idiots killed each other.

“I don’t see what the big deal is, Ange!”

Jack. Reyes slowed his approach, curiosity getting the better of him.

“The big deal, Jack, is that you are perpetrating these rumors by not correcting anyone!”

Angela. Reyes came to a full stop. He was still in the weapon storage just outside the firing range itself. He quietly leaned against one of the counter tops, arms crossed over his chest.

“Aw, c’mon Ange.” Reyes could almost hear the eyeroll in Jack’s tone. “It’s harmless.”

“Harmless!?” a smirk curved Reyes’s mouth at Mercy’s almost shrill response. “My reputation is on the line! No one is going to take me seriously if everyone thinks I’m sleeping with you!”

Reyes’s eyes narrowed. Even just the thought of Jack and Mercy bumping nasties made him irrationally mad.

“Everyone knows you were brilliant before you came here. That’s why we recruited you!”

“Oh my god, Jack, you’re missing the point.” Mercy’s voice sounded muffled and Reyes imagined she covered her face with her hands.

She wasn’t wrong. Mercy had more leeway than most agents and though it was because she is a valuable asset, it could look like she was getting what she wanted using her body.

“Well, what the hell am I missing here Angela, because it all seems pretty cut and dry to me!” That country twang was starting to edge its way into Jack’s tone.

“She’s  _ married _ , Jack!”

_ Whoa. _ Reyes’s eyebrows shot up. A married woman? Reyes honestly didn't think Jack had it in him. He smirked feeling impressed despite himself. Jack was sputtering and Reyes could imagine his face flushing.

“Wha-- How--?”

“I saw you.” Mercy practically hissed.

Jack swore.

“I feel like you are using this rumor about us as a cover, so that you can continue your affair.” There was an edge of sadness in her voice and something about it tugged at Reyes’s heart.

“Jesus, Ange.” Jack’s tone was incredulous, and Mercy picked up on it immediately.

“Then tell me it isn’t true!” her voice sounded cracked open.

This was hurting her. Of course it was. She and Jack had always been close, and Reyes was sure if anyone asked Mercy would say he was one of her best friends. Reyes held his breath and waited for Jack’s response. The silence was heavy. He expected Jack to say something, anything, but his silence only proved Mercy’s words true. The click of her heels echoed loudly, and Reyes slipped quietly behind a ammo rack before she had a chance to see him when she stomped pass. Her cheeks were wet and she was wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. She made a disgusted sound looking at the makeup smeared on her fingertips. Reyes watched Mercy slip through the door, her lab coat fluttering behind her.

It was so obvious and Reyes couldn’t believe he didn’t think of the possibility that the rumor could in fact be a ruse to distract from Jack’s affair. To be fair he didn’t know Jack was seeing anyone until recently, and that someone was married until, well, just now. Normally he wouldn’t have entertained the thought that golden boy Jack Morrison would take another man’s woman and create a rumor to distract from it, but now…

Reyes grit his teeth as anger tied knots in his stomach. He exited his hiding place and stood in front of the door. He didn’t have to wait long before the door slid open and Jack startled to a stop seeing Reyes. Jack’s eyes were opened wide and his expression mimicked that of a child getting caught shoplifting.

“Is there something you want to tell me, Jack?” Reyes forced his tone to remain neutral.

Panic stricken Jack reflexively ran his hand back through his hair looking everywhere but at Reyes.

“Well, I…” Jack mumbled.

Reyes raised a hand to silence him, closing his eyes briefly.

“Just tell me one thing,” anger sneaking into his tone. “Did you make up that rumor about Angela being your girl--”

“ _ NO! _ ” Jack cut him off looking at Reyes like he just asked him to kick a puppy. “You think I’d really do that?”

“I also thought you wouldn’t fuck another man’s woman, but here we are!” Reyes spread out his arms as he spoke.

Jack looked away from Reyes again, his ears going red.

“Look,” Reyes sighed  pinching the bridge of his nose. “I don’t give a shit who it is.”

He could sense Jack looking at him. Reyes stood straight and closed the distance between them, dark eyes burning into the other man’s bright blues.

“What I do care about is rumors. Take some fucking responsibility and act like the goddamn commanding officer you are and put that shit to bed!” Reye’s jabbed a finger in Jack’s chest as he spoke.

“And I swear on all that’s holy if you let this  _ fling _ of yours blind you and make you act like a  _ fucking idiot _ on the field, I’m transferring you to Antarctica to guard that annoying Chinese scientist! Do I make myself clear?” Reyes snarled leaning further into Jack’s space.

Tension hung between the two men as they glared at each other in silence.

Jack replied thickly before he replied, “Yes, sir.”

“Good.” Reyes turned to lead the way out of the range. “And you better beg Angela for forgiveness for being a complete fucktard.”   
He could hear Jack sigh as he fell into step behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter, but I hope you enjoy it!


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